David Duke seems a figure from the past, the former Klansman and white supremacist who two decades ago was almost elected Louisiana governor. … In his 1991 campaign for governor against Edwin W. Edwards, Mr. Duke largely avoided explicitly racial campaigning, appealed to the frustrations and resentments of white voters […] Read more »
A reminder of the lasting power of racial politics in America
The year 2014 will be remembered politically for many things, among them the Republican Party’s impressive victories in the midterm elections. But as much as anything, the year was a reminder of the depth of racial divisions and the continuing existence of racial politics in America. CONT. Dan Balz, Washington […] Read more »
Steve Scalise distances himself from racially charged politics of the Deep South
Steve Scalise was a budding Louisiana state lawmaker eager to ascend the Republican ranks when he quickly accepted an offer to address a white-supremacist organization 12 years ago. … This week’s revelation that Scalise, now the third-ranking Republican in the U.S. House, spoke at a convention of the European-American Unity […] Read more »
Mary Landrieu’s Loss and the End of Ticket Splitting
Louisiana Sen. Mary L. Landrieu’s defeat in the Dec. 6 runoff certainly was no surprise. If anything, it seemed inevitable since the evening of Nov. 4, when it became clear a Republican rout was underway and Democrats would lose control of the Senate. But the veteran Democrat’s defeat is another […] Read more »
White Flight From Southern Democrats Doomed Landrieu
Democrats have been worried about the African-American vote in Louisiana for months. But what really doomed Sen. Mary Landrieu’s reelection bid was the near-monolithic white vote against her. Landrieu’s loss Saturday to Republican Sen.-elect Bill Cassidy followed a November all-party primary in which the incumbent got a lower share of […] Read more »
Keystone Vote Unlikely to Change Odds for Mary Landrieu
… Ms. Landrieu’s colleagues have done her the courtesy of giving her a vote on a controversial issue. It’s just hard to understand why. Ms. Landrieu is all but doomed, and even a successful Keystone vote would have been too little too late. Ms. Landrieu’s problem isn’t whether voters believe […] Read more »